Haps Magazine

Haps is a magazine based out of Busan, South Korea. Directed towards foreigners, the magazine supplies articles about events and entertainment around the country.

I was approached to work as an art director on the magazine by a friend and fellow designer Christopher Cote. Together, we would maintain the design and layout of the magazine. We also designed ads for some advertisers and for the magazine itself.

This was my first time working on a layout that was longer than 20 pages. Both Chris and I worked as partners to lay out each issue. We also worked alongside editors and marketing personnel to organize the ads and articles.

Our first task was to establish a means of communication and organization with the Haps crew. We wanted to streamline the layout process as much as possible as Chris and I both worked remotely.

When we took over the layout and design process, we already had a template to work with from previous issues. However, much could be improved upon. With the a short turnaround time on each issue, we wanted to establish a solid layout first and make improvements second. Most of the improvements included cleaning and organizing the InDesign file. However, by the second issue we started plans to redesign the cover as the Haps crew wanted to stand out from other magazines on the shelves. By the third issue the redesigned cover was in play. We enlarged the logo and with each issue had it interact with the cover image. We also ditched the guidelines for the title and text (the previous issues used the same basic template, same location, same font...boring). So, we put our typographic skills to work to compliment each issues cover image.

As stated previously, we also took charge of some ad designs. One of which was Sharky’s Bar and Grill, also located in Busan. I was tasked with creating a two-page advertisement for the restaurant. I focused on Sharky’s weekly specials and made them the prime focus of the ad, with some great images doing most of the talking.

This project was a massive learning experience for me. I think I experienced every emotion a human has during the design phase; satisfaction being greatest. My last issue Chris and I had to stretch and flex our business and communication muscles, and I had to dust off that part of my brain where I kept my InDesign knowledge. It felt amazing to be part of a team again and build something great!